No Matter What
by Daae Chagny
Summary: "Long story short: single mom Christine meets recent law school grad Raoul. They date and one day Raoul finds her romance blog... When Christine finds out that he knows, will they break up?" Continues FAR beyond that point (I just needed something to put in the bio). Very fluff at most times. Rated M because Meg likes suggestive humor. But there might be smut later.
1. Prologue

"Damn."

"What?"

"That guy over there. In line."

"Which one?"

"The _hot_ one, silly."

"The one in the suit?"

"Yeah... Oh my God he's totally checking you out."

"What?"

"Yeah. It's like he's feeling you up with his eyes."

"Megan!"

"Okay, maybe not the intense, but he's definitely liking what he's seeing. I swear he looked at your butt and did a double-take."

"MEGAN!"

"Don't act like you don't enjoy it."

"I don't."

"I will give you $20 if you go over there and give him your number."

"No."

"I'll throw in a free night of babysitting."

"...Make it $25, and you have a deal."

"Pleasure doing business with you."

And with that, Christine Daaé marched to the counter of the Starbucks in which she worked to take the order of the undoubtedly handsome man.

~oOo~

Raoul de Chagny smiled as the young, beautiful barista approached him to take his order. She was certainly the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life. Time seemed to stop as she walked towards him.

God... She was even prettier up close...

"Sir?"

"Huh?—oh, uh, hm, sorry... What did you say?"

She giggled lightly and brushed her hair behind her ear. "I'd asked you what you'd like to order."

Raoul was starting to become a little red in the face."Oh, yeah... Bear with me, it's a large order; I'm bringing this to my co-workers..."

She giggled again. "It's fine. I can handle it."

While the barista, who's name badge read "Christine," filled the order, a slightly-less-cute, blonde employee came up to him.

"Okay, I don't have much time, so I'm just gonna make this short and simple; do you like my friend?"

"Huh?"

"The brunette. You were staring at her a minute ago. Do you think she's pretty?"

"Well, since you're asking, she's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

"Good. I need you to ask her out."

"What?"

"She's about to give you her number. I need you to ask her out on a date."

"How do you know this?"

"I just do. Bye."

Right as the blonde girl walked away, Christine came back to him, all the drinks in two cardboard drink holders. She made small talk with him while she rang up the order. When the receipt printed, she scribbled something down on it before giving it to him and hastily saying goodbye.

Raoul didn't have time to look at the receipt until he sat down in his car, but when he did, he was pleasantly surprised to see ten, barely legible digits on the piece of paper.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

_One week later..._

"Dammit..." Raoul muttered as he got back in the car.

"What's wrong?"

"My question exactly. Obviously something's wrong with the car, but I can't figure it out."

"So we're stuck here?"

"Until someone can tow us. I've already called someone, but it could be a while before he gets here."

The two sat in silence for a few moments.

"I'm so sorry, Christine. I'm sure this is not how you wanted our first date to go."

"No, Raoul, it's fine! You couldn't control this. Honestly, this date is going much better than most dates I've been on."

"Really?"

"Really. Now, since the date isn't going as planned, we should think of something else to do."

"Like what?"

"Well... I have Netflix on my phone... We could watch a movie. We're missing the one we were supposed to see anyways."

"Alright. I suppose that'd be a nice substitute."

She giggled as she pulled out her phone. "I like it when you talk like that."

"Like what?"

"When you use words like 'suppose' and 'substitute.'"

"They should honestly be standard vocabulary."

"In my vocabulary, they are, but most of the guys I know aren't nearly as intelligent as you."

He smiled slightly. "I'm honored."

She giggled lightly. "Alright, what do you want to watch?"

"You pick. I'm sure you know what the good ones are."

After much searching, Christine finally picked out a fairly good comedy. But, when they started the movie, they realized there was a problem; there was not a comfortable way to hold the phone so that both of them could see and hear.

So, after many minutes of shifting around, they ended up stretched out in the back seat, Christine comfortably lying on top of him, her back to his torso. They agreed that they would take turns holding the phone, so no one's arms would get tired.

Finally, they were about to watch the movie...

But Christine's phone had other plans.

Buffering...

Buffering...

Buffering...

Christine eventually gave up and put her phone to sleep.

The pair didn't move from their position, although they knew that it was far too intimate for a first date. But why follow society's rules when they could make their own?

When Christine felt Raoul's arms tighten around her, she couldn't help but sigh a little. It'd been so long since she'd been on a date, let alone been held. She'd forgotten how much she enjoyed the romance.

She picked up her phone again and clicked on the camera, turning it to mirror mode. She couldn't help but laugh when she saw Raoul giving her an odd look.

"What are you doing?" he asked her.

"Trying to see you, and maybe take a picture," she replied with a giggle.

He smiled. "Well, if you want a picture, scoot up a little bit so you can get a good shot of both of us."

She smiled and nodded. "Good idea."

Christine found a better position, her head right next to his. She giggled. "Alright, say 'cheese!'"

"Cheeeeeeeeeeeese," they both said, giggling a little.

"Let's take silly one!" Christine suggested.

"We already did," Raoul teased.

She laughed. "No, I want to do a really silly one."

"Alright. If you want silly, I'll give you silly."

"Okay. One... Two... Three—"

She didn't have time to say cheese, because Raoul had captured her lips in a kiss.

All was quiet in the car as they kissed. The kiss was slow and gentle, and Raoul held Christine's body steadily in his arms as they kissed. They both knew they shouldn't kiss on the first date, but honestly, neither one of them gave a damn.

Slowly, they broke the kiss, although their lips still hovered centimeters from each other.

The moment was spoiled by Raoul's ringing cell phone.

Raoul muttered curses under his breath, some of them in a language (probably French) that Christine didn't know. Finally, he answered his phone.

"Uh-huh...

Uh-huh...

Okay...

That's right...

Okay...

Bye."

"Who was that?" Christine asked.

"The guy at the towing company. He said that a truck will be here soon," Raoul said, ironically amused that they were interrupted by such an unimportant call.

Christine giggled slightly. "Seriously?"

"Yep."

She laughed. "Next time you decide to sweep me off my feet, make sure your phone is on silent."

He chuckled. "In my defense, a cell phone started this, and a cell phone ended it... By the way, was it okay that I kissed you?... I know it's not proper first date etiquette, but I don't care about propriety as long as you don't," he muttered bashfully.

She giggled. "It was entirely fine by me. I don't care much for propriety either. I don't understand why it's considered 'proper' to hide one's feelings. If one wishes to kiss someone, then they should be encouraged to kiss that someone."

Raoul smiled. "Agreed... Well, what do you think we should do now?"

"I think I should kiss you on the cheek, and then we should move back up to the front seat. I'd hate to be caught by a tow truck driver like this," she said with a laugh.

Raoul nodded. "I agree."

So, Christine kissed his cheek, and then the couple crawled back up to the front seat.

~oOo~

The rest of the evening went rather smoothly. The pair went to dinner (transportation provided via taxi), and then walked around the city, holding hands, until their feet were starting to become sore.

Raoul returned Christine to her apartment, insisting on walking her to the door. He pulled her into his arms right as they reached her door.

"My phone's on silent this time," he muttered before leaning in and kissing her quite romantically.

She giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck as they kissed. This kiss was longer and slightly more heated than their first, but again, neither one of them cared.

"I had a wonderful time," she whispered once he released her and her lips.

"I did too," he replied, "What are your plans for next weekend?"

She giggled. "I'm free as long as I'm not working."

He smiled. "Good. I'll call you later?"

She nodded. "Please, unless I text you all night, which isn't an unlikely possibility."

He laughed. "I look forward to it. Goodnight, Christine."

"Goodnight, Raoul."

Then Raoul pulled her in for one last peck and quickly left.

Christine quietly slipped into her apartment, carefully closing the door behind her. She sunk against the door, grinning like a maniac. She couldn't help but miss him, even though they'd just said goodbye.

What'd she give to be back in his arms for just a moment more…

"From your crazy smile, I'm assuming your date went well?" the voice of her best friend said.

"I thought you'd be asleep by now and I'd have to drag you off the couch again," Christine said.

"Well, you thought wrong. I wanted to stay up and hear all the juicy details," Megan said.

"But Meeeegggaaaannnn... I'm tired..."

"Nope. You owe me a lot, and I intend on hearing about the wonderful date that would not have happened without me."

"Alright, alright," Christine said as she plopped into a chair. "It was nothing short of incredible," Christine began as she recalled each and every detail of the evening. She even showed Meg the photo of their first kiss.

"...And then he kissed me, said goodnight, kissed me again, and then he left. Are you satisfied now?"

"Very. But I do have a few questions."

"But Meeeeeeeeeggggggg…"

"No buts. Just brutal honesty."

"Fine," Christine muttered.

"Okay, this is very important…"

"…"

"Do he got da booty?"

Christine sighed slowly slammed her face into the table:

"He doooooooooooooooooo…"

"How much booty?"

"Exactly 11 booty."

"Damn. The highest you've ever rated a booty is 8."

"It's very good booty."

"Would you do that booty?"

"Hella yes."

"Would you recommend that booty to a friend?"

"No. _My booty._"

At this point, they had begun laughing their respective booties off.

"I hope you and that booty have a long and happy relationship together."

"Same."

"But the more important question is; did he enjoy _your_ booty."

"I think he did."

"Did he _get_ the booty?"

"No."

"Will he be getting booty soon?"

"Maybe. But only under very special circumstances."

"What circumstances?"

"…shirtless, stubbly, maybe a little sweaty, and bedhead…"

"So if he rolled out of bed one morning and immediately came over to do yard work or something, you'd let him to some special work on your private property?"

"Probably. But you forget something."

"What?"

"I live in an apartment. I don't _have_ a yard."

"Well when you and him get married, you can move to a house and he can mow your lawn all day long."

"Okay, Megan, that's enough suggestive humor for now. The author might have to make this and M-rated fanfic if you don't stop."

"Sorry. So, when are you gonna tell him?"

"Tell him what?"

"About Daniel."

"Oh… I don't know that I want to…"

"You have to. He'll find out one way or another."

"But I don't want to lose Raoul… I haven't been on many dates in the past few months, but every time I do, the guy always loses touch with me after he finds out about Daniel. Always."

"Well, the best advice I can give you to tell Raoul about him soon. Then it won't hurt so bad if he does leave you. It'll only leave a bruise instead of a scar. Besides, if Raoul really does care about you, he will still stay with you even after he finds out. He might even embrace Daniel."

"I hope so…"

"I'm gonna leave you to blog about Raoul now. I gotta go home and hit the hay. It's almost midnight and I have work in the morning."

"Alright. Bye Meg."

"Bye, Chrissy. May visions of Raoul shirtless, stubbly, sweaty, and with bedhead be in your dreams tonight."

"Fuck you."

"No, fuck Raoul."

And then Meg left.


	3. Chapter 2

**[A/N: Date rape TW. Not much but y'know... gotta put this here to be safe :) Also single mom/family dysfunction TW. Please review, and let me know if I need to change anything (but do so politely with constructive criticism :) Enjoy!]**

**Chapter 2**

Weeks later, Christine found herself making out with Raoul in the backseat of his (now fixed) car, just after their fifth date.

She pulled away for a moment. "Raoul, I must get going soon…" she whispered

He hushed her and brushed her hair behind her ear. "Just a moment longer," he murmured before attacking her neck.

"Raoul, I really must leave soon," she said a bit louder as she attempted to pull out of his arms.

He tightened his hold on her. "Five more minutes, darling, that's all I need."

"Raoul, let go of me!" she nearly shouted.

He immediately let go of her after her outburst, realizing he was seeming a bit sex-crazed. "I-I'm sorry, Christine… I didn't mean to… I thought… I mean, I didn't realize… You know what? Forget it. I can't make excuses for my actions. They are what they were; sexually-driven attempts to get what I subconsciously desired… I regret it completely, Christine, and I offer my sincerest apologies. Can you ever forgive me?"

Christine stared at him for a moment, trying to figure out what to say. That had almost been date-rape, but it was now obvious that Raoul hadn't meant it.

"I really want to be mad at you. I really do. I want to hit you with my purse and leave you with a black eye—"

"—rightfully so—"

"—but I honestly can't. Not after an apology like that. Most men wouldn't take responsibility for their actions like that—some would even blame it on me—but you… you're something special, Raoul, and I'm really lucky to have you… But I must warn you to keep your actions under control, alright?"

"Oh, I will, Christine. I swear I will."

"Good. Now, I really must be going," she said before opening the door.

"May I walk you to your door?"

"Whatever floats your boat."

Raoul got out and rushed over to her side before she could even get out. He took her hands and helped her up (although she didn't really need it at all) and shut the door for her.

"May I come in this time?" Raoul asked as they neared her apartment door.

"Next time," Christine replied hastily.

"You say that every time."

"It's a mess in there…"

"I repeat, you say that every time. I have trouble believing that someone who dresses so neatly could possibly be too disorganized to let her own boyfriend come inside."

"Boyfriend?"

"We've been on five dates and you've already referred to me as your 'boyfriend' more than once. Now, quit trying to change the subject."

"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about."

"I call BS."

"So what? I don't care, and you're not coming inside tonight, nor will you ever come inside."

"I knew it."

"Knew what?"

"You're hiding something."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Who is he?"

"No one."

"Then you admit there's someone."

"No, there isn't."

"Are you cheating on me or are you cheating on him?"

"I'm not cheating on anyone."

"Who is he, Christine?"

"No one."

"Who is he, _Christine?_"

"No one."

"_Who is he, Christine?"_

"My son!" Christine exclaimed.

Raoul stared at her in silence. He could see now that she was crying.

"Are you happy now? Now you know why I won't let you in!"

Raoul remained silent.

"…Perhaps you should just go… I know you don't want me anymore…"

"May I see him?" Raoul whispered.

"What?"

"May I see him?"

Christine was stunned. "Y-Yeah, I guess so… By the way, Meg's in there too; she babysits for me from time to time."

"Okay," Raoul murmured as he gently took her hand again.

Christine pulled her key out and unlocked the door, quietly opening it.

"Hey—oh, you have Raoul with you…" Meg said when she saw Christine.

"Yeah," Christine said, her tone betraying everything to Meg.

"So he…"

"Yep. You can go home now."

"Okay. Text me later, alright?"

"Okay, bye."

After that, Meg left quickly and awkwardly.

"You can sit down anywhere you'd like. I'll bring him out to you," Christine stated before disappearing into one of the only other rooms in the apartment.

Raoul decided to sit down on the small couch in the small living room that connected to what passed as a "kitchen." He looked around, taking the sight of his girlfriend's house in. It was a little messy, but he supposed it was clean for someone with a kid. The apartment smelled like baby food and formula. That, combined with the types of toys that littered the floor, indicated to Raoul that the child was still an infant; not a toddler like he'd expected.

Surprisingly, he felt nervous. He knew he shouldn't feel anxious about meeting someone so small, who wouldn't even remember this day next year, but this was still such an important moment in his relationship with Christine. His reaction could change everything and anything. Besides, if all went well, he could end up as the step-father of this child.

He just hoped he didn't say or do anything stupid.

His thoughts were interrupted when Christine came back into the room, cradling a small bundle in her arms.

He'd been right; the child was most definitely an infant.

He sat up straight and scooted over when Christine quietly joined him on the couch. Raoul peered over her shoulder, trying to see the child's face.

He was a handsome little boy. His curly brown hair and slender nose definitely came from his mother, but the other features came from another man.

"What's his name?" Raoul whispered, so as not to wake the baby up.

"His name is Daniel," Christine whispered back.

Raoul smiled. "That's a nice name. It suits him."

Christine smiled back. "Yeah. He always seemed the gentle and quiet type when I was pregnant with him. He never kicked too much, and now he hardly ever cries, unless he needs something. I'm lucky to have him… So… I dunno, I guess I thought the name 'Daniel' fitted those characteristics."

"It does. And, in Welsh and Irish, it means 'attractive,' and this little fellow is definitely quite handsome."

She giggled lightly. "Quit trying to impress me," she teased.

"I'm not trying," Raoul replied with a laugh.

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

"How old is he?"

"He'll be six months old later this week."

Raoul smiled. "Still little, huh?"

Christine nodded. "Mm-hm."

"May I hold him?"

"Yeah. Do you know how?"

"I'm sure I do. It looks simple enough."

Christine raised her eyebrows. "Alright, if you say so. But be _very_ careful. Babies must be handled more carefully than glass."

Raoul nodded. "I promise I will be very careful, Christine. I wouldn't dream of dropping him, not even by accident."

Christine nodded and slowly began to move Daniel from her arms to Raoul's arms.

Once Daniel was in Raoul's arms, he began to squirm, which made Raoul tense up. Christine, however, gently stroked Daniel's cheek and whispered "shhhhhh" until he was still again.

Raoul smiled at her. "You're a very good mother."

Christine giggled slightly. "I like to hope so."

"There's no reason to hope for what you already are."

"I guess I'm doing something right… I mean, he's still alive… But I truly believe that's mainly his doing. He's such a good little boy. He really doesn't cry unless he's hungry or scared, since that's his only way to communicate, and Meg swears he's the easiest child she's ever been a babysitter for… I'm really lucky to have a child like him."

"He seems like a very good child… If you don't mind me asking, what happened to his father? Are you divorced or…?

Christine smiled slightly and shook her head with a sigh. "No. I've never been married…" She took a deep breath. "I was in my second year of college—I was going to be a psychologist y'know; I was going to help people out with their life problems and stuff—but anyways, I was totally 'in love' with this guy… Long story short; one bad decision led to another and I ended up pregnant, and the father refused to be a man and take some responsibility. I didn't care though. He was a douchebag and Daniel and I are _much_ better off without him. But being pregnant forced me to drop out of college, so that sucks, but I'm okay... I work two jobs, but I'm okay… My family doesn't even speak to me anymore, but I'm okay… I'd rather have Daniel over anything else in the world… He's the only one that can't hurt me…"

Raoul noticed that she was trying really hard not to cry, but he didn't say anything. He wanted to put his arms around her and comfort her, but he couldn't let go of Daniel. He bit his cheek and thought about what he should do.

Finally, he figured it out.

"Christine, I want you to know that I love you more than anything in the entire world, and that I'm incredibly proud of you for how well you've handled all of this by yourself. I honestly don't know how you do it. You're the strongest woman I've ever known, and I know you're destined for greatness. Before I continue, I'd like you to lay your head on my shoulder, because I know you're about to cry and I'm currently unable to put my arms around you."

Christine silently took Daniel from his arms and did as she was told.

Raoul's arms now free, he gently placed them around his beloved. "The fact that you have a child does not repel me, like I know you thought it would. In fact, your story has only strengthened the love I already have for you. That love is not out of pity, but out of admiration for your strength and independence; for all the sacrifices you've made for the sake of yourself and your child. It's absolutely incredible to me. I know that I personally wouldn't even be able to do what you've done, and I'm sure I don't even know the half of it. I'm not even sure why you bother to even to speak to a barely-average guy like me. You're really incredible, Christine, and I admire that more than you can ever possibly fathom. But even more than that, I love you. _I love you._ And I've known that since I saw you at Starbucks that morning. Truth be told, I'd been coming to Starbucks just to see you for quite a while before I got your number, but that's another story entirely. The point is; I love you. A lot. And I really hope you love me too, because honestly, Christine, I think I want to marry you eventually. I don't know when, but I'm going to marry you. And I honestly don't know where I'm going with this anymore, but—"

He was silenced by a peck on the lips from Christine. "Darling, you're blabbering," she giggled, "But thank you. I'm okay now. Thank you. I love you."

Raoul grinned goofily. "Really? You love me?"

Christine laughed. "Of course I do. I've loved you for a long time, just ask Megan. I was just waiting for you to say it first."

His grin widened. "That's great, because I was afraid I was making a fool of myself with all that sappy blabbering about love and marriage… I mean, I meant every word, but I was afraid you might think it's weird…"

She giggled. "I think it's perfectly romantic. Never be afraid to sound cheesy or sappy around me; I enjoy it when you say cute things to me. And don't feel like you have to talk so sophisticatedly around me; that's how you should talk to co-workers and clients, not your girlfriend."

He chuckled. "Alright, I'll try to relax a bit more around you, but forgive me if I can't help but talk like that sometimes."

"It's okay." She rose, "I'm going to put Daniel back in his crib. I'll be right back."

While he waited for her to come back, he thought over what she'd revealed to him earlier. All of it had been rather surprising to him. What bothered him most, though, was that she was working two jobs. He didn't like the image of her coming home nearly every night utterly exhausted, and then have to take care of an infant for the rest of the night. And the fact that she couldn't even go to college to be able to get a better job was saddening to him as well. Well, he had a lot of money to spare; maybe he could…

"What are you thinking about?" he heard Christine say as she plopped down beside him on the couch.

"Huh—oh, nothing," he mumbled as he sat up a bit and place an arm around her, "It's just… Are you tired, Christine?"

"What do you mean?"

"Sorry—you work two jobs; are you tired when you get home at night?"

She chuckled. "Exhausted would be a proper word."

"So you don't enjoy it?"

"Of course not."

"Then I want you to quit."

"Huh?!"

"I want you to quit one of your jobs."

"Raoul, how the heck am I supposed to do that?! I need to make money to survive! I can't just quit!"

"Hush, darling, and let me finish."

She sighed and looked up at him, one eyebrow raised and her arms crossed.

"I want to pay—"

"Nope."

"You didn't even let me fin—"

"I don't need to."

"Yes, you do."

"No, I don't."

"_Yes,_ you _do_."

"Fine, I'll listen, but I already know what you're going to say and I'm going to be contrary to it. Just warning you."

"Okay. I want you to quit one or both of your jobs. If you quit one, I'll match the loss of income, plus pay for your college tuition. If you quit both jobs, you and Daniel will move in with me, and I'll pay for your college tuition. Either way, you'll be less exhausted, and you'll be going to college to get your dream job."

"Tempting, I'll admit, but no thanks."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't accept charity. No donations are allowed."

"It's not like that, Christine."

"I don't care. Even if it's not, what happens if, heaven forbid, we break up? I'm not stupid; I know this fairytale has a chance of ending without a 'happily ever after.' We may be madly in love with each other now, but what happens if we can't stand each other next month?"

"That won't happen. You know how I feel about you and what my intentions."

"I do. I know you love me a lot, Raoul, and I love you, but there's no way I'm letting you pay my bills unless we're married, because at that point they'll be 'our' bills."

"Alright, what if I signed a legal document, stating that I must pay your bills, no matter the state of our relationship, until you are a registered psychologist, or until you yourself order me to stop?"

"Then I'd _consider_ it. But I'm not making any promises."

"I will do it, Christine. I just want to make things a little easier for you."

"I know, and I admire your intentions… I just want to be independent, okay? I don't want to find myself dependent on another man's paycheck one day."

"That's understandable. But I hope you'll accept my offer. You can alter it, if you'd like. I don't care, as long as I'm doing something beneficial to you."

"Damn."

"What?"

"It's pretty much impossible to be mad at you, isn't it?"

He laughed and pulled her into a tight hug. "I do hope it is."


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Who ya texting, Chagny?"

Raoul jumped, nearly dropping his phone. "Uh, nothing—no one…"

His boss, an older, fat, balding man named Steve, chuckled heartily. "C'mon, you've been grinning at that damned thing since you got here. There's no reason to hide it; you're not in school anymore, and I understand if you're bored." He chuckled again and slapped Raoul on the back. "So, who's the girl?"

"Uh, there is no girl…"

"You should know better than to argue with a lawyer," Steve said. "A handsome, young man like you _must_ have at least one little lady. I know I had a few when I was your age."

Raoul rolled his eyes, but he was smiling, for she had crossed his mind again. "Fine. Her name is Christine."

"Christine, eh? That's a nice name. Is she pretty?"

"Stunning. Always flawless."

"Is she crazy?"

"Nope. She's very sane."

"Is she nice?"

"Not just nice; she's very strong and independent, too."

"Ah ha! There's the flaw."

"I don't think it's a flaw…"

"It's a great characteristic, but it can also be bad for your relationship."

"How so?"

"She's not afraid to say 'no.'"

"No to what? I don't see why this is a problem…"

"Look, most women will agree to anything, like marriage, for instance, if a man romances them the right way, and that's because they're weak and dependent. But the strong, independent women won't make any decisions, particularly in their relationships, without taking all things into consideration. They won't settle for anything less than perfection. While they're admirable, they're hard to handle."

"I don't think of her like that."

"Of course you don't, because you're not an asshole, like me." Steve laughed heartily. "I'm the last person to take relationship advice from; I mean, I'm on wife number three now. I think you and that Christine will be just fine. Do you want to marry her?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I wish you luck. You should be fine, as long as you're not an asshole to her, which I know you're not. Now, get to work."

"Yes sir," Raoul mumbled as he turned his attention to his work again.

He really hated Steve. He really did. But, at the same time, there was something about him that kept Raoul working at the firm. Maybe it was his generosity, or perhaps his friendship. Raoul didn't really know. He hated Steve, but he knew that Steve had his back.

Raoul knew he shouldn't listen to Steve, (and really, he wasn't) but what Steve had said got him thinking…

What if Christine said no when he proposed? That wouldn't happen for quite a while, but he wondered… What if he wasn't exactly what she wanted?

He needed to talk to her. Not about that, of course, but he needed to hear her voice.

He told Steve he was going to get some fresh air, and then quietly left, taking his cell phone with him.

Before he could stop himself. He was dialing her number on his phone. He didn't know what he was thinking. She wouldn't answer; she was probably at work…

"Hello?"

"Christine?"

"Yeah, it's me. What's wrong?"

"Oh, uh… nothing's wrong."

"Then why are you calling me? I mean, it's not like you don't have the right to call me, but we usually communicate through texts… In fact, we were just texting a few moments ago…"

"I just… Well, to be honest, I just wanted to hear your voice."

He heard her giggle. "Oh, Raoul… Darling, are you sure everything is fine? You sound a little stressed."

"I'm sure, Christine. I just wanted to hear your voice. Uh… Do you have any plans tonight?"

"I'm working tonight, babe," he heard her sigh. "That's actually my dilemma; I can't find anyone to babysit Daniel tonight."

"I'll do it," Raoul volunteered all too quickly.

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm sure."

"You don't have to, Raoul. I'm sure I'll find someone to do it."

"I want to, Christine. I think it'd be good for him and me to bond. Besides, he's a good kid. I don't think he'll be much of a bother."

"Thank you so much, Raoul. How much do I need to pay you?"

"Nothing."

"I'm not about to let you do this for free, Raoul."

"Fine. I want precisely 100 kisses upon your return."

He heard her giggling again. "I think that's reasonable."

He grinned, finally relaxing a bit. "Can I take you out for lunch?"

"Yeah, I'd like that. I gotta get back to work babe, and I'm sure you do too."

He sighed. "Yeah… When does your shift end?"

"11:45."

"Okay. I'll pick you up at 12:15, okay?"

"Alright. Bye, darling."

"Goodbye, my love."

She giggled and then hung up.

~oOo~

"There are a couple of bottles in the fridge, but if you run out and he's still hungry, the formula is on the counter. And don't forget to burp him after he eats. Oh, and if he's not hungry, he probably needs his diaper changed. If it's neither of those, he's probably tired or misses me. The only thing to help that is to sit in the rocking chair and hold him, and try to calm him down," Christine said rapidly, rushing around the apartment with Raoul at her heels.

"Darling—"

"—Where are my keys—"

"—_Darling—"_

"—The emergency contacts sheet is on the fridge—"

"—Sweetheart," Raoul started, grabbing her firmly, "Please, relax… This is why I want you to quit at least one of your jobs."

She sighed, but she relaxed as he asked. "I know… Look, I want to quit. I really do. But I want it to be because I'm able to support myself without an extra job."

"Darling, don't you see what this is doing to you? You're so stressed and tired; you could barely focus on the conversation at lunch today… This isn't good for you. I only want what's best for you, sweetheart, and this… this isn't. Please say you'll consider quitting, my love."

"Raoul… I know you mean well… But it isn't as easy as it looks. I love you, but I can't quit with just a promise of monetary support from you. I'm sorry, but I just can't. Now, if you'll excuse me, I really need to go. Do you have any questions about Daniel?"

"No. Go, Christine. I hope you have a good night at work, and make sure you're awake enough to pay me when you get back. I love you."

"I love you too. Goodbye, Raoul."

"Goodbye."

And with that, she left.

Raoul plopped down on the couch and sighed. "It's just you and me now, buddy," he said to Daniel, who was trying to crawl around on his baby mat.

Raoul smiled. "I'm hungry. Let's order a pizza, okay?... Jeez, why am I talking to you? You're a baby! You can't respond," he muttered as he picked up her laptop, which she had given him permission to use if needed.

"What's this?" Raoul wondered when he saw that Christine had forgotten to close out a webpage before she left.

"Finding the Perfect Man" was the title of the website, and it looked like it was part of one those free blogging sites.

Before Raoul could stop himself, he was reading each and every article, forgetting about the pizza momentarily.

From what he gathered, not only did Christine frequently visit this site; she was the _author_ of the articles. On top of that, some of the articles were about him, and profile picture was of them kissing. He would have sat there and read the blog in its entirety, but he had to take care of Daniel. So, he emailed the link to the blog to himself, so he could read it later.

_"__They won't settle for anything less than perfection," _Steve had said.

Well, now Raoul knew how to be perfect.

**[A/N: Don't forget to review!]**


	5. Chapter 4

**[Hi guys! If you've made it this far, then you're probably enjoying the story ****J****If it's not too much trouble, could you write me review? Anything is welcome, as long as it's not hateful. I am open to constructive criticism ****J****If you're too tired to type something out, would you mind hitting the follow/favorite button? I hope you enjoy the newest chapter of "No Matter What!"]**

~oOo~

**Chapter 4**

_(These are a few posts from Christine's blog. They span over several months after Raoul discovers her blog.)_

"Tonight was wonderful! Raoul was a perfect gentleman to me J Oh, I can't wait until he takes me out again! I really hate saying goodnight to him. I miss too much and too often for my own good.

But, I must say, I wish he'd be more romantic with me. He suddenly seems very careful about doing anything besides holding my hand. I appreciate his efforts to be so gentlemanly, but what is a relationship without romance? I confess that I fantasize about him stealing me away for some private moments of kissing… I'm sure all of you are rolling your eyes right now, but I'm trying to treat this blog like a private diary, so deal with it or un-follow ;)

I guess I'll stop drooling over him now. I can't wait to tell you all about our next date, and always let me hear about yours. I love girl talk, haha!

Ugh I'm so lame -_-

Bye-bye."

"Oh goodness.

Raoul…

It's like he reads my mind sometimes.

He was so romantic tonight… We were often totally alone, and he often used those moments to his advantage. But sometimes he wouldn't do anything when we were alone besides hold me, and I truly enjoyed those silent little moments more than anything. And sometimes he would do little things that made me blush in public, like whispering things in my ear… I'll spare you the details of what he'd say exactly, but you should know that it wasn't vulgar enough to make me want to slap him, but it was enough to make me inwardly squeal a little.

I've never been loved like this before. I miss him so much… He told me that I'm welcome to call him at any time, and that the dates are only over when I say they are. I would take advantage of that, but I have a child to take care of, so I can never stay out quite late enough to be satisfied. Then again, I enjoy Raoul's company so much that I don't think I'd ever be fully satisfied.

I really hope he takes me out for lunch or something tomorrow. I miss him. I can't wait for the day when I wake up and his face is the first thing I see. Unfortunately, that won't happen for a very long time. While I do love him and want to marry him, I'm not sure if I'd say yes if he proposed to me this very moment. But it would really depend on how I feel in the moment. If I know my answer is yes and I won't hesitate to say it, then I will say it. If there is even an ounce of doubt in my mind, then I will tell him that I'd like to wait. But I do feel like he might be the one I've been wishing and hoping and praying for since I was a little girl.

I could write a book about his topic, but Daniel is crying, and I must go help him.

Goodnight."

"Things are still going nicely with Raoul. He's sexy when I want him to be, but he mixes it well with being a gentleman. That's very hard to do. This is good, but I need him to show me something else…

I need to see if he's a good father.

Raoul and I have had a lot of serious conversations recently. We're really taking our relationship to a very serious level; we're at the point where one of us would have to do something absolutely horrible in order for us to break up. We both are fairly certain that we are meant to be together.

It won't be long before our first annual anniversary comes; in fact, our 10-month anniversary is in just two weeks (coincidentally, on Valentine's Day). I personally think we'll be engaged within the year, but I don't know for sure. Raoul might want to tie the knot sooner than that or even later. But one thing's certain; if we're not engaged by our second annual anniversary, I will probably start dropping hints. But I doubt we'll be waiting that long.

Anyways, I want to make sure he's going to be a great step-father to Daniel before we get engaged. He's done a little babysitting for me, but I've never really seen how he treats Daniel first-hand. Maybe someday Raoul could spend the day with Daniel and me, just so I could see what it'd be like if we all lived together.

Honestly, I don't have any doubts about Raoul's parenting skills. Of course, I'll have to help him learn a few things, but I think he'll be great for Daniel, as well as any children I might have with him in the future.

Oh my gosh I haven't even thought about having kids with Raoul.

…

I must say that I like the thought of little blonde babies crawling around the house. But, I absolutely _love_ the thought of being pregnant again. I remember how wonderful it was when I was expecting Daniel, and I know having a baby with the father around will be 110 times more wonderful.

Oh no, I hope I don't become too in love with that thought. I don't want to become baby-crazy. That could possibly end very badly.

There's so much Raoul and I need to talk about before we get engaged. I don't know how much money he makes, or what his family is like, or whether or not he wants children, or if he wants to move to house eventually. There's so much we have to discuss, but thankfully I know that I can talk to him about anything and everything.

As always, I'd love to elaborate more, but I know you're bored, and I have a toddler to take care of anyways.

Goodbye."


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"Darling?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry…"

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm just tired…"

"Christine, I know that's not true. If it is, then it's not entirely true. Something's bugging you."

She sighed. "It's nothing much, I swear."

"I still want to know what it is."

"I'm just… curious about a few things."

"Ask me anything, Christine."

"Well… Alright. How much money do you make? I'm not trying to sound like a gold digger or anything; I'm just curious."

He smiled slightly. "Right now, I make around $68,000 a year, but by this time next year, I'll be around $73,000, give or take a few thousand. Besides that, my family is very rich. I have an entire house—practically a mansion—left to me that I could move into anytime. I tried living there once, but it was too big and quiet for my taste. But I'll happily move back into it once I have someone to share it with."

She smiled, knowing that she was the "someone" he had in mind. "What's your family like?"

"My family? Well, I haven't seen them in a few years… They live in Paris now. I was born there, but I grew up here in America, but you already knew that. Anyways, I guess they're pretty normal. My mother is a sweet lady, and my father seems tough, but he's really very kind and generous. They've been married for 30 years. I have an older sister, but she lives in Paris too. She has a husband and a little girl that I haven't met yet. I'm planning to go visit them soon. Maybe you could come with me?"

She sighed. "I'd like to, but I don't know if I could leave Daniel with Meg for that long…"

"We'd be gone for a week, tops. And we could bring Daniel with us."

"We could, but I'm not sure that having him around would be a great idea when I meet your parents for the first time…"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm afraid they might not like me if they see that I already have a kid… They might think I'm a slut who's just sticking with you because you have money."

He frowned. "They wouldn't judge you like that."

"You don't know that."

"I'd think I'd know my own parents."

"You might not know if I'm the kind of girl they want for you."

"I honestly couldn't care less about what kind of girl they want for me. I know that you're the only girl for me."

She couldn't help but smile again. "I'm glad. But even if we didn't have those problems, I'm not sure I could get that much time off of work… I'll have to ask. When would we be going?"

"In about two months."

"Then we'll be there on our first annual anniversary."

"All the more reason for you to come with me."

"I don't know, Raoul…"

"C'mon, Christine… It'll be so much fun. I'll take care of everything; the only thing you'll have to do is pack your bags."

She smiled gently as he gently placed his hand on top of hers. "Alright… I'll go to work tomorrow and ask for the time off."

"Perfect," Raoul said before kissing her hand, coaxing a giggle out of her. "Is there anything else you wanted to ask me?"

"Well… I know this is very personal, and I know it might be a little early in our relationship to think about this, but I can't help but wonder… If we get married, do you want to have children?"

Raoul nodded. "Of course."

"How many?"

"As many as you want."

She smiled. "Good."

"How many do _you_ want?"

"Well, I don't have a set number, but I'd like to be pregnant two more times. However many come from that, I don't care."

Raoul nodded. "May I ask you a few questions, since you've asked me some?"

Christine nodded. "Of course."

"Alright. What's your family like?"

"Any question besides that…"

"Now I'm interested."

"I know… Can we please talk about that later?"

"Alright. Let's see… How much money do you make?"

"$21,000 a year. After rent, that's barely anything."

"Do you like living in an apartment or would you prefer living in a house?"

"I don't know… Apartment life is fine until we start having kids. I imagine myself in a house, but I don't know if I'd like to live in the suburbs. There's just so much more in the city than the suburbs."

"I agree. I'm a city person, too."

She smiled softly. "I'm glad we agree so often."

"Well, can we agree to head to my place for a glass of champagne?"

She giggled. "Well, since it _is_ Valentine's Day, I suppose we can."

He smiled. "Perfect."

And so, he took her arm and escorted her from the restaurant.

~oOo~

Raoul's apartment was about 1,000 times nicer than hers.

It was definitely bigger and a lot… well, _sexier_.

Everything was decorated to a very modern, black-and-white scheme. The furniture seemed very expensive and absolutely spotless. Christine found herself gawking over the fact that he had a full kitchen _and_ a small dining room.

He chuckled and took her coat. "Do you like it?"

She nodded eagerly, looking around in awe. "I love it."

He smiled. "Sit down and I'll bring you a glass. Or you can look around. I don't mind."

Christine chose the latter option.

She explored the living room first, and had just discovered the balcony when Raoul approached her, two champagne flutes in hand. He smiled as he gave her one of them. "I see you've discovered the balcony."

She nodded and smiled back at him. "Mm-hm. May we go outside?"

He chuckled. "We could, but it's currently snowing, darling."

She looked outside again. "Oh. Yeah… Let's stay inside."

He smiled and led her to the sofa. "So, about your family…"

She sighed. "Oh yeah… You wanted to hear about them…"

"Mm-hm."

"Well, they suck."

"How so?"

She sighed. "Remember how I said I was in college to become a therapist?"

"Yep."

"Well, I went to that college on a full scholarship, which was great because my parents couldn't afford to send me anywhere. Anyways, since they were so poor, they were depending on me to become a therapist and start making above minimum wage to help support them. When I got pregnant and had to drop out, they kind of disowned me. They wouldn't even let me come back home. I still talk to my sister occasionally, but that's it. Honestly, I don't really care. They obviously never loved me, even when I was a kid, so I don't love them. I just missed them a lot before I met Meg, because I didn't have anyone to talk to or to ask for a little help. But it's okay, really. I'm better off without them. I'm better off without everyone I met before I got pregnant."

"Good for you. Some people need to be forgotten."

She nodded. "Yeah. The whole post-Daniel time period has been really great. Best 2 years of my life, really."

"What's been the best part of the last two years?"

She smiled. "Meeting you. And getting to raise Daniel."

He chuckled. "I'm honored to be on the same level as Daniel."

She giggled. "I'm honored to have a man like you."

He grinned. "You deserve someone so much better than me, Christine."

"No, I don't. You're perfect. Like literally perfect. You're everything I hope for from a guy in physical form."

Raoul felt a twinge of guilt. He wasn't really perfect. He was just doing what she said she wanted on her blog.

"Thank you, but I am not perfect," he murmured, scratching his neck.

"What are you talking about? Of course you're perfect!"

"Well, you see… Y'know what? Let me get you another glass of champagne." Before she could even respond, he had already taken her glass.

"Okay… But do you have any wine? I'd like something stronger than champagne."

"I have tons. My family is in the wine business. I'll get you a glass of my favorite."

Raoul did pour her a glass of his favorite wine, but, almost coincidentally, it was the strongest wine he owned. He wasn't trying to get her drunk; just relaxed enough so that she wouldn't kill him when he told her that he'd found her blog.

He brought her the glass with shaking hands. "Here you go…"

"Ah, thank you, darling."

He watched and she lifted the glass to her lips.

This was wrong. He couldn't do this to her.

"Don't drink that," he said, knocking the drink out of her hands.

"Raoul! What's going on?!"

He sighed. "Christine, I have something to confess."

"It better be that you have random arm spasms."

"It's not."

"Then what is it?"

"I… I found… I found your blog," he admitted with a sigh.

She stared at him for a moment, not quite comprehending what he'd said.

"Y-You what?!"

"I found your blog. That's why I'm not perfect. I've never really been the perfect guy; I've just been reading what you put on your blog… I'm really sorry, Christine. I only did it because I love you and I want to be with you forever and I know that you'll only settle down with the perfect guy. I just wanted to be that guy. I understand if you hate me and want to break up, but I'd like you to stay with me tonight so I can try to make it up to you. Because I love you, Christine, and I never want to hurt you or anger you or anything, even though I'm pretty sure I just fucked everything up pretty badly."

She continued to stare at him, and he looked at the ground.

"How long have you known?"

"Since the first time I babysat Daniel… So about nine months."

"How the Hell did you find out?"

"I went to use your computer to order pizza and the website was still up."

There was silence again.

"You have twenty-four hours to make it up to me, Raoul. Twenty-four.

"I'll do it."

"Then I'd get on it immediately."

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